Reminiscing
by cxvxs
Summary: Nate and the team reminisce about old times and the life they’d had together. Set the morning before the start of the second season. Originally started as a different series, then somehow took on a life of its own. Eliot/Nate pairing later on.
1. Opening Scene, Take one

Reminiscing

_Nate and the team reminisce about old times and the life they'd had together. Set the morning before the start of the second season. Originally started as the beginning to a different series, then somehow took on a life of its own and became its own oneshot. Enjoy.

* * *

_

Nate bolts up, covered in sweat and breathing hard. What had that dream been about? The team, his old team, had been at the office, watching it explode. He shook his head, clearing the memory. That life was gone, like the old office. He flopped back and groaned rubbing his eyes, not wanting to wake up yet knowing that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. With a sigh of defeat, he stared at the ceiling for several minutes before finally working up the courage to look at his alarm clock. Four thirty, dammit! Another restless night, struggling to get to sleep only to wake up a couple hours later. He couldn't even blame it on the drinking anymore, not since he'd quit, which wasn't helping the situation at all.

Nate groaned again. He missed that old life too much; the high he got from completing a mission, the thrill of knowing he was helping people, even if the methods were a little unorthodox. He missed the afternoon lunches with Sophie, the technical talks with Hardison, the not-so-cheap thrills with Parker, and especially the late night talks with Eliot. He missed being a part of a team, fighting crime with crime, and living in the moment for once in his life.

He rolled out of bed, knowing that reminiscing would do him no good. He groaned again, this time because he could feel his age catching up with him. He was in his forties, his mid-forties, 46 going on 60; at least it felt like this morning. He was stiff, his back ached, his neck was sore, and no doubt his eyes were sunken and bloodshot from lack of sleep. No more reminiscing, no more wishing for that life. He was done. He was back to being regular, boring Nathan Ford, ex-insurance agent. He couldn't keep wishing for that lifestyle, it wasn't healthy. He had promised that he would move on, that he would forget about everything that had happened between them. He had to keep his promise.

***

At the same time, Eliot Spencer was rolling out of bed, his fitful night not much better than his former team leader's. He gave a soft groan, trying not to wake the sleeping beauty beside him. His feet hit the floor and he quietly made his way to the bathroom. After relieving himself, he made his way to the sink, only to pause and stare at the face in the mirror. There was no outward changes in his face, save for his eyes looking a little more sunken in. There was nothing notably different about him, not physically. Why, then, did he feel so dissatisfied with his current lifestyle. He had lived this way for more years than he cared to remember and it had never bothered him before. Was he going soft? No, his skills were the same. Better, even, especially after… He shook his head, clearing those thoughts.

He had been a strictly one-man kind of guy before. He could go back to living that life again any time he chose. He didn't need to be part of a team. He didn't need anyone. Certainly not Hardison or Parker, or even Sophie. And definitely, definitely not Nate. No, he didn't need a man like Nathan Ford in his life. That would only complicate things. He jerked the water on, washing his hands before throwing water on his face. No, he didn't need a team; but it wouldn't hurt to go see Sophie tonight at this musical thing of hers. They could reminisce and stuff. Maybe talk about Nate and the others, how they were doing. No, it wouldn't hurt going there, not at all.

***

Hardison stared at the computer screen, his thumbs flying as he tapped out combos on the controller. He would beat this boss, beat this boss and maybe… Maybe he would forget about all the fun times he'd been having until now. All those missions; man, he's felt so alive! Eliot might have been a bit harsh at times, but he was 'ight. Sophie, Sophie kept things fun and interesting. Nate, man, Nate knew the plan and the cons, he knew it all. He was the perfect man to head everything up. And Parker, well Parker was a whole different story. There was chemistry there; at least, he thought there was chemistry there. It was hard to tell with Parker. He felt chemistry with her that was for sure. She must have felt chemistry with him too, or else why had she kissed him like that?

Speaking of which, what _had_ that kiss been all about? They had never gotten a chance to talk about it and he hadn't been able to find her. Knowing her, she was probably doing something dangerous and exotic and… Damn! He just died! He had to concentrate on the game, the game and not the old team. They'd gone their separate ways. There was no going back now; even he had his pride. Well, maybe he _could_ go to this thing Sophie had invited him to tonight. Nate was sure to be there; maybe he could swallow his pride long enough to beg Nate to get them all back together again. Yeah, that was a plan. Reboot, finish this game, then head to Sophie's musical to throw his pride away and beg the only man he ever truly respected to give a second shot at the best thing that had ever happened to him.

***

Parker's plane landed without delays, taxing into the airport a bit early, even. She would have time to explore Boston a bit, get a feel for it again, before heading out to meet up with Sophie. They'd plan to get lunch; after all, they had stayed in touch. She'd heard the big news; Sophie was so excited about it, although Parker couldn't see why. What was so great about having a guy? They didn't do much, not really. Most of them were useless, actually. There were a few, like Hardison and Eliot who were worth something. Even Nate had his uses. Speaking of which, Sophie had probably invited the others. Maybe she would get lucky and see Nate tonight. She would even settle seeing Hardison and Eliot. It would be good to see the others again. Well, there was no guarantee that Sophie would invite the others. She could only go and hope for the best.

Sophie smiled as she woke up, her eyes fluttering open slowly before she moved ever so slightly. Mmm, today felt great; well, as good as it was going to feel. She had a performance later on tonight, she had a nice man keeping her warm, and she was looking forward to seeing who showed up. Okay, so maybe it was pointless to keep telling herself not to get her hopes up, but she really wanted everyone to show up. It would great to have the old team back together, if only figuratively speaking. She'd heard from Hardison that he would show up and she was having lunch with Parker. Honestly, how that girl still had so much energy was amazing but she was packed full of it. Maybe she would mellow by catching a red-eye here from Madrid. She'd said something about going to Spain after a trip down to southern Africa?

***

Sophie shook her head and stretched, moving away from the sleeping man beside her. Well, Parker always was a strange one. She hadn't heard anything from Eliot, so it was anybody's guess whether he would be there or not. She sincerely hoped so; the boy needed to let up and relax a bit. She hadn't heard back from Nathan either. She paused, half way to the bathroom. She examined the sleeping man before sadly shaking her head. Well, Nathan would probably try to be there, so that was no problem. She shrugged and continued toward the bathroom. Really, today would be a great day. If she was lucky, she would do a great job singing, better than those terrible rehearsals. She shuddered at the memory. If she was really lucky, before the end of tonight, she would be back with the old team. Figuratively speaking, of course.

* * *

_And, of course, we all know how that turns out. Well, Sophie may not have gotten the luck she wanted, but the team did end up getting back together, so it wasn't all bad. I'm not quite sure how this came to be, it just kind of happened, but I enjoyed writing it. Below are a few notes I made after writing it._

_I fell in love with the idea of a Nate and Eliot pairing, even more so when I heard that Christian Kane loves working with Timothy Hutton, so there's some hinted partiality there. (I watched an interview of him. He said he was a fan of Timothy's, that they became friends quickly and that he loved working with him. I thought it was sweet, though I don't think the actual actors should get involved. Christian Kane should stay hot and completely straight.)_

_I liked the idea of Hardison going there in hopes of finding Nate and begging him to get the team back together. Only after I'd written it did I realize that it kind of seem true. After all, Hardison is the one who says that he took them and "broke" them. I imagine him thinking of himself as he says that, thinking of how much he misses it all and projecting that on the others. (Who, of course, completely agree with him.)_

_Parker just seemed so happy to see Nate, so I wanted to play on that idea. There's nothing going on between them. She also talked with Sophie as if they'd kept in touch, so I played on that angle as well._

_Sophie seemed really happy that they were all there, as if she hadn't expected them all to make it. I also wanted to do a small scene with the boyfriend, since the only time you really see him is when they break up. In case anyone is wondering, he didn't know about the musical. He knows she enjoys theater, but that's it. She tried to keep him separate from that persona of herself._

_Last note, on why I think Nate originally turns down the idea of getting back together. Nate is afraid that they all are just in a slump; that they don't actually need to get back together and just haven't found what really makes them happy. He's afraid of being tossed aside by them if something better comes along. Pfft. Like that's going to happen. Later, he continues to rebel against it out of fear, but mostly out of anger. They hadn't really contacted him those past six months, acting as if they didn't need him. He's upset that he spent six months thinking he was the only one upset over breaking up the team, and his pride tells him that they should beg him to come back. Instead, they play on his obvious weakness, which he finally acknowledges before conceding defeat._

_***  
_

_Note. Everything voiced here are of the author's opinions and are in no way tied to the original series. __Leverage__ is in no way tied to the author and the author, although mighty in her own way, cannot change or influence any part of the show. It would be awesome if she could, though. All rights reserved. ©_


	2. Act I, Scene I

Reminiscing, Act I Scene I

_Nate and the team reminisce about old times and the life they'd had together. Set shortly after Nate leaves the bar, those few short moments before he's attacked. What's going on inside that head of his; ends with him being attacked, but before Sophie shows. Short because it was only a couple of seconds in the actual scene. Originally started as the beginning to a different series, then somehow took on a life of its own. Enjoy.

* * *

_

Nate slowly made his way upstairs, taking the stairs instead of the elevator for once. He wanted to think things through, go over what had just happened in his head one more time. It had been good seeing the team again. His team. He shook his head, trying to shake the thought. No, no, they weren't his team anymore. They hadn't been his team for over six months. He leaned heavily against the railing, only a few simple steps away from his floor. They had asked him back. It completely floored him. They had asked him to come back, to lead them again. Six months, six long agonizing months of struggling and fighting against wanting to call them back. Six months of not hearing a word from any of them and suddenly they wanted him back.

It was too good to be true. It _couldn't_ be true. He pushed away from the railing, making his way up the stairs and opening the door to his floor. They didn't want him back; they didn't want him to lead them again. It wasn't logical. They were thieves, thieves that had never answered to anyone before. They were just missing the thrill, the excitement of something new. He had presented a new challenge to them and they had enjoyed it. That was all. He heaved a sigh, a sigh of both relief and regret. It wasn't that they wanted him back; it was they wanted the experience again. They were stuck on the high of the chase.

_Aren't you the same way?_ A little voice inside of him taunted as he unlocked his door, slipping inside. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't bother to close the door after him. It had been really good to see them all again. Sophie had looked good, despite being upset over the terrible reviews. Parker was her same, insane self, immediately jumping at a chance to steal something together with someone, but she seemed happy. Hardison looked fit, despite his complaints. He looked like he was at least trying to take care of himself. And Eliot… Eliot looked…

Nate looked around at his empty place, his eyes falling on the pot lid. The reflective surface revealed someone behind. Someone with a knife. He whirled around, defending himself, all other thoughts flying from his mind.

* * *

_Nate is desperately trying to convince himself that the team doesn't need him. He needs a reason to stay away because he's afraid to reach out. He's also channeling some anger issues at them. Cookies to anyone who caught the "six months without a word" bit. Six months without a word after working so closely together, I'd be a little resentful too. Perhaps I'm channeling, but hey, I'm the author so I'm entitled to channel all I want in my fanfic. Reviews are always welcome…except when they're—not._

_***  
_

_Note. Everything voiced here are of the author's opinions and are in no way tied to the original series. __Leverage__ is in no way tied to the author and the author, although mighty in her own way, cannot change or influence any part of the show. It would be awesome if she could, though. All rights reserved. ©_


	3. Act I, Scene II

Reminiscing, Act I Scene II

_Nate and the team reminisce about old times and the life they'd had together. Set shortly after Sophie conks Nate on the head. She calls Eliot for advice, which leads to an interesting conversation over the phone. Originally started as the beginning to a different series, then somehow took on a life of its own. Enjoy.

* * *

_

"Nate? Our Nate? The Nate we all love and respect, that Nate, was in a fight when you went to check on him?" Eliot couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice. He just couldn't visualize Nate fighting with anyone. Not that he thought Nate was pushover, far from it. It just wasn't his style, to fight back physically. Nate was a mind games kind of guy. He played chess; he liked getting inside his opponents head and screwing with him. He left the physical stuff to him, to Eliot. After all, that was his specialty.

"Yes, Eliot, Nate was fighting for his life. I don't see what you think was so amusing about it." Sophie complained over the phone, the panic leaving her voice. "It was horrible. The man had a knife and…"

"Wait, he had a knife? This guy came at Nate with a knife?" The hitter, who had been reclining on his hotel bed, sat up with a start. "You're sure? What did the guy look like? Tell me everything. Start from the beginning."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Sophie inhaled before continuing. "I went upstairs to tell Nate…something and found his door ajar. That wasn't like him, so I pushed it open only to see a man with a knife trying to stab Nate! He was trying to kill him! So I head butted him. I think I broke his nose."

"Who, Nate?"

"No! The guy! The guy with the knife, the one trying to kill Nate."

"Okay. So you broke his nose. Good job."

"Yes, well, he took off after that. Nate chased him into the hall…"

"Wait, Nate chased after him?" Eliot swore softly before lecturing Sophie. "Why'd you let him?"

"He only went a few feet down the hall. He came straight back… But…"

Eliot sighed. Things could never be simple, could they? "But what?"

"Well, I kind of hit him on the head with a–a pan, I think. I don't know, I grabbed the closest thing at hand."

"Hit who?"

"Nate…" Sophie answered slowly. "I think I knocked him out."

Eliot snorted. "You knocked Nate out as he was coming back inside his condo."

"Yes."

Eliot shook his head. "Sophie, you are one of a kind."

"Now what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." Eliot chuckled. "Look, stay the night. Watch over him, okay? If you hit him hard enough to knock him out, chances are he'll stay knocked out for a couple hours. Don't worry, he should be fine. I'll come check on him in the morning. Bring the others up to speed. Maybe they can help us figure this out."

"Got it. Thanks Eliot."

"Oh, and Sophie?"

"Yes."

"Call me if he wakes up before I get there."

"Of course. See you later, Eliot. Take care."

"Yeah. You too. Keep safe. Lock the doors." Eliot hung up and tossed his cell phone on the chair across the room, flopping back on the bed. Nate had gotten into trouble only moments after meeting up with them again. Maybe this was fate. Obviously, Nate couldn't keep safe if he was away from him. He could have been seriously injured if Sophie hadn't shown up. Eliot snorted at the mental picture of her smack Nate with a pan. Well, at least he got away with a light hit.

He rolled over on his side. Now that Nate had quit drinking, maybe working with him would be better. Maybe Nate could hold on to those special moments right after the end of a con, those moments of thanks, with better clarity. He certainly hoped so. Well, that was hoping that he'd be open to the idea of rejoining them. His reaction last night was a point against them, but Eliot was determined to change his mind. Nate would welcome them back if he worked harder to convince him. He was sure of it.

* * *

_And, of course, we all know how that turns out. I'm not quite sure how this came to be, it just kind of happened, but I enjoyed writing it. Below are a few notes I made after writing it._

_Cookies to anyone who noticed Eliot made appoint of saying "love" and "Nate" in the same sentence. And yes. He does convince Nate to give them a second chance. I *heart* Eliot3Nate ^o^_

_***  
_

_Note. Everything voiced here are of the author's opinions and are in no way tied to the original series. __Leverage__ is in no way tied to the author and the author, although mighty in her own way, cannot change or influence any part of the show. It would be awesome if she could, though. All rights reserved. ©_


	4. Act I, Scene III

Reminiscing, Act I Scene III

_Nate and the team reminisce about old times and the life they'd had together. Set shortly after Sophie calls Eliot for advice. She follows Eliot's advice and calls the others, starting with Hardison. Originally started as the beginning to a different series, then somehow took on a life of its own. Enjoy.

* * *

_

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Click._

"Hello."

"Hardison. Thank God."

"Sophie. What's up? Do you know what time it is?"

"Not now, Hardison. I think Nate might be in some kind of trouble." The hacker had been leaning back in his chair, leisurely surfing the web up until this point. He immediately sat up, his fingers flying, taping out codes into his laptop.

"What's wrong? Is he okay? What's going on?"

"Well, he was attacked and now he's passed out on the couch."

"Passed out?" Hardison's voice raised an octave.

"Yes, passed out. I accidently hit him in the head with a pan."

"Accidently hit him in the head with a pan?" Now his voice was just filled with disbelief.

"Yes, well, that's not important right now. I called Eliot and he said I should call you and see if you wanted to see what was going on. He's going to swing by here later on this morning. It is morning, right? Technically speaking, that is."

"Sophie. Sophie, slow down. Wait, you called Eliot first? Now why would you do that? Suddenly I'm not good enough? That's cold man, real cold."

"Hardison. Focus."

"Right. Yeah, I'll swing by. Nate's in trouble, I'm in on helping him out. Did you get a good look at the guy?"

"Well, yes, why?"

"Describe him to me."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. You're memory is clearest now. It's still fresh in your mind. Describe him to me; I might be able to track him down." Hardison's fingers flew, typing in the description of the man Sophie was giving him. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Got it. Yeah, I'll run the description through my database, see what I turn up."

"Thanks Hardison."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm going to call Parker now. I'll talk to you later."

"Uh-huh." He hung up, his fingers still typing out a steady rhythm. He had to find out what Nate had gotten himself into. Who knew, this might be the excuse they all were looking for to get the team back together. It sounded like Sophie and Eliot had the situation under control, so no reason he shouldn't take this opportunity to come up with a plan to convince Nate he needed them.

***

"Parker? Parker, you there?"

"What's up?"

"Well, Nate seems to be in trouble and…"

"I'm there."

"Wait. Wait, Parker, I…"

_Click. Bee. Bee. Beep._

Sophie looked at the phone then sighed. Well, Parker was the one most likely to act on impulse of all of them. She went more with instinct than people thought. Sophie looked at the man on the couch before stifling a sigh. Looks like she wouldn't be able to get back to her sweetheart tonight. Oh well, this was more important anyway. She could wait out the night and figure things out tomorrow. Soon Eliot would be here. He'd called her back after she'd hung up with Hardison. He needed a couple hours of sleep, but he'd be there around two. Hardison would probably be around later, after the sun was actually up.

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello?"

"Nate lives above that bar we went to earlier, right?"

"Yes. But Parker, I wanted to tell you…" Sophie got out as quickly as she could.

"Got it." _Click._

Not quick enough, apparently. Oh well. Parker would be here soon enough, then they could take shifts watch over him. Well, making sure he wasn't attacked again. Sophie dialed her boyfriend. Best to tell him now that she was spending the night a friend's and wouldn't be back until later.

***

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello."

"Hardison."

"Parker." The hacker sat up for the second time that night, a little on edge. "What—what's up?"

"I'm outside your apartment."

"Now? Right now?"

"Yup."

He got up and went to the window. "Now how do you where my…Oh, there you are. I see you."

"I'll be up in a minute."

"Wait, Parker, I don't…"

_Click._

Hardison looked at his phone in disbelief. "Really? Really?"

_Knock. Knock._

"You got to be kidding me." He went to the door and opened it. Parker grinned at him like old times and he found himself grinning back.

"So what's the plan?"

"What's the plan? You suddenly show up and that's what you ask?" He opened the door wider and she quickly made her way inside. He shook his head. "Well, I'm not saying this'll work but…"

She smiled at him again, that insane spark in her eyes.

* * *

_No notes this time. A hint of what's in the next chapter, however. Next chapter, Eliot shows up to watch over Nate. Sophie, tired after watching over him until two, goes to sleep in Nate's bed. Maybe, **maybe **a kiss from Eliot to Nate, from a confused Eliot. **If **there is a kiss, a small scene where Nate wonders why his lips taste like stale beer. But that's a big **if**.----------- See? A big "if." There will be more, much much more, but that's as much of a hint as I'm going to give you. Like I said before, no guarantees on the kiss._


End file.
